Draft rigging



June 9, 1964 l.. cARDwELL DRAFT RIGGING Filed April 27, 1961 zz/emow L/Zqd Ca/rdweZZ. Jy 44( M Wc/W:

, .O. S w k Q P. GNN mN\ NN QN United States This invention relates to a draft rigging for a tandem mounted draft gear arrangement and has for its principal object the provision of a novel thrust column arrangement for transmitting buff forces through a bolster center ller.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a unitary thrust column equipped with an integral foliower on its rear end for transmitting buff forces between tandem mounted draft gears.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tandem mounted draft gear rigging arrangement utilizing a movable thrust column between its front and rear gears and equipped with a supplemental stop structure spaced rearwardly from the front gear a distance less than the closure travel of the rear gear to relieve the movable thrust column of over-solid buff impact loads.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIG. l is a horizontal section through familiar parts of a railway freight car frame equipped with tandem mounted front and rear draft gears; and

FIG. 2 is a vertical section through the same.

In FIGS. l and 2 there is shown a familiar draft rigging arrangement including center sills 10, front and rear draft gear lugs or stops 11 and 12, respectively, and a vertical yoke 13 connected to a coupler shank 14 by a draft key 15, with these parts being shown in the positions they assume when the draft rigging is in full release.

Front and rear draft gears are shown at 16 and 17, respectively, with the front gear 16 being encircled by the yoke 13 and being illustrated as of the friction clutch type having a front follower plate 18. The rear gear 17 is also illustrated as being of the friction clutch type. While both draft gears are illustrated as being of the friction clutch type, either or both may be of any other form that is desired.

A bolster center filler 19 is shown fixed to the center sills of the railway car frame and its construction provides a longitudinally extending central passageway for movably mounting a thrust column structure T located intermediately of the gears 16 and 17 for transmitting buff forces from the front gear to the rear gear and buff recoil forces from the rear gear to the front gear.

Carrier irons are shown at 20 and 21 in FIG. 1 for supporting the rear draft gear and are shown at 22 and 23 in FIGS. 1 and 2 for supporting a slidable coupler support pan, designated generally as 24, which is shown extending beneath the front gear 16 and yoke 13 to support these elements.

Buff forces are applied through the coupler shank 14 to the front follower 18 and then to the front draft gear 16 which is movable rearwardly to transmit the buff forces through the movable thrust column structure and fmally to the rear draft gear 17 which reacts against the rear lugs 12. Upon release, the draft rigging returns to the position which is illustrated in FIGS. l and 2.

As is conventional, draft forces are transmitted from the coupler shank 14 and key 15 to the yoke 13 which has its rear strap 13S spanning and abutting the rear end of the front draft gear to pull the gear forwardly against the front follower 18 which then reacts against the front lugs 11.

atent In accordance with this invention, supplementary stops 25 are fixed within the center sills 10 at a point spaced rearwardly of the front draft gear 16 a distance slightly less than the closure travel of the rear draft gear 17. With this arrangement, the coupler 14 goes solid through the front draft gear 16 and supplementary stops 2S t0 relieve the thrust column structure T of over-solid bud impact loads. In the preferred form the supplementary stops 25 are formed integrally with and project forwardly from the bolster center filler 19 though they may also be aixed directly to the center sills 10.

The novel thrust tube structure T employed in accordance with this invention is shown as comprising a cylindrical main column portion 26 slidable in the central passageway of the bolster center filler and terminating at its rear end in an integral follower plate 27 for transmitting buff forces to the rear draft gear. The main column portion 26 is preferably tubular to conserve material, in which case it is fitted with a cap 2S on its front end, with the cap having a contoured forwardly facing seat 28S for abutment directly against the rear strap 13S of the yoke. With this arrangement, under buff loading, the thrust is transmitted straight through in the center of the center sills.

Since the yoke 13 is movable rearwardly with the front draft gear 16, guide elements 29 are provided in the upper lateral corners of the center sill pocket to flank the yoke and maintain it properly centered for transmitting a straight through force between the draft gears.

It should be understood that the description of the preferred form of the invention is for the purpose of complying with Section 112, Title 35, of the U.S. Code and that the appended claims should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.

What is claimed is:

1. In draft rigging for one end of a railway car frame that has longitudinally extending laterally spaced center sills, a bolster center filler rigid with said one end of said frame and disposed between the center sills thereof, front lugs fixed to said center sills in outboard spaced relation to said center filler, rear lugs fixed to said center sills in inboard spaced relation to said center filler, a front draft gear disposed for movement lengthwise between said front lugs and said center filler and including a follower member, a housing member to be engaged by said follower member when said gear closes solid, and resiliently compressible spring means reacting between said members normally to space said members apart a distance definitive of a closure travel for said front draft gear, a rear draft gear disposed between said center ller and said rear lugs and cooperating with the rear lugs to undergo a given closure travel while transmitting buff forces into said frame, said center filler having a horizontal central lengthwise passage aligned with said gears, a longitudinal thrust column projecting from and movable longitudinally through said center filler passage and having a transversely enlarged follower plate integrally connected on its rear end and operable for transmitting buff forces through said thrust column from said front gear to said rear gear and buff recoil forces through said thrust column from said rear gear to said front gear, one of said members of said front gear cooperating with said front lugs in draft, and supplementary stops rigid with said' car frame and located at a position to engage said front gear before said rear gear completes said given closure travel, thereby to relieve said thrust column of oversolid buff impact loads.

2. In draft rigging for one end of a railway car frame that has longitudinally extending laterally spaced center sills, a bolster center filler rigid with said one end of said frame and disposed between the center sills thereof, front lugs xed to said center sills in outboard spaced relation to said center filler, rear lugs fixed to said center sills in U inboard spaced relation to said center filler, a front draft gear disposed for movement lengthwise between said front lugs and said center ller and including a follower member, a housing member to be engaged by said follower member when said gear closes solid, and resilientlycornpressible spring means reacting between said members normally to space said members apart a distance definitive of a closure travel for said front draft gear, a yoke encircling said front gear and having a rear strap spanning Y the rear of said front draft gear, a rear draft gear disposed between said center liller and said rear lugs and cooperating with the rear lugs to undergo a given closure travel while transmitting buff forces into said frame, said centerfller having a horizontal central lengthwise passage aligned with said gears, a longitudinal thrust column projecting from and movable longitudinally through said center ller passage to abat said rear strap and having a ffl.

transversely enlarged follower plate integrally connected on its rear end and operable for transmitting buff forces through said thrust column from said front gear to said rear gear and buff recoil forces through said thrust column from said rear gear to said front gear, one of said members of said front gear cooperating with said front lugs in draft, and supplementary stops rigid with said car frame and located at a position to engage said front gear before said rear gear completes said given closure travel, thereby to relieve said lthrust column of oversolid buff impact loads.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN DRAFT RIGGING FOR ONE END OF A RAILWAY CAR FRAME THAT HAS LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING LATERALLY SPACED CENTER SILLS, A BOLSTER CENTER FILLER RIGID WITH SAID ONE END OF SAID FRAME AND DISPOSED BETWEEN THE CENTER SILLS THEREOF, FRONT LUGS FIXED TO SAID CENTER SILLS IN OUTBOARD SPACED RELATION TO SAID CENTER FILLER, REAR LUGS FIXED TO SAID CENTER SILLS IN INBOARD SPACED RELATION TO SAID CENTER FILLER, A FRONT DRAFT GEAR DISPOSED FOR MOVEMENT LENGTHWISE BETWEEN SAID FRONT LUGS AND SAID CENTER FILLER AND INCLUDING A FOLLOWER MEMBER, A HOUSING MEMBER TO BE ENGAGED BY SAID FOLLOWER MEMBER WHEN SAID GEAR CLOSES SOLID, AND RESILIENTLY COMPRESSIBLE SPRING MEANS REACTING BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS NORMALLY TO SPACE SAID MEMBERS APART A DISTANCE DEFINITIVE OF A CLOSURE TRAVEL FOR SAID FRONT DRAFT GEAR, A REAR DRAFT GEAR DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID CENTER FILLER AND SAID REAR LUGS AND COOPERATING WITH THE REAR LUGS TO UNDERGO A GIVEN CLOSURE TRAVEL WHILE TRANSMITTING BUFF FORCES INTO SAID FRAME, SAID CENTER FILLER HAVING A HORIZONTAL CENTRAL LENGTHWISE PASSAGE ALIGNED WITH SAID GEARS, A LONGITUDINAL THRUST COLUMN PROJECTING FROM AND MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH SAID CENTER FILLER PASSAGE AND HAVING A TRANSVERSELY ENLARGED FOLLOWER PLATE INTEGRALLY CONNECTED ON ITS REAR END AND OPERABLE FOR TRANSMITTING BUFF FORCES THROUGH SAID THRUST COLUMN FROM SAID FRONT GEAR TO SAID REAR GEAR AND BUFF RECOIL FORCES THROUGH SAID THRUST COLUMN FROM SAID REAR GEAR TO SAID FRONT GEAR, ONE OF SAID MEMBERS OF SAID FRONT GEAR COOPERATING WITH SAID FRONT LUGS IN DRAFT, AND SUPPLEMENTARY STOPS RIGID WITH SAID CAR FRAME AND LOCATED AT A POSITION TO ENGAGE SAID FRONT GEAR BEFORE SAID REAR GEAR COMPLETES SAID GIVEN CLOSURE TRAVEL, THEREBY TO RELIEVE SAID THRUST COLUMN OF OVERSOLID BUFF IMPACT LOADS. 